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The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.

The ex-president was found guilty of orchestrating a military coup in last fall and sentenced more than a 27-year term in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending legal challenges.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a preventative measure after fresh information were revealed.

This included seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a paperwork permitting the custody, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the tracking monitor to ensure success in his flight.

This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his child.

His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a legislator, called for a meeting of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I invite you to battle with us."

He said the gathering would be so supporters could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the potential of his move to foreign missions near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a background of arranging to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The court filing highlights that the US embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.

International Reactions

His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist American leader Donald Trump, causing him to impose a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being kept in a Federal Police station in the capital and will have a detention review on Sunday.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with tracking devices.

They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

He was determined responsible of heading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plan which encompassed plans to kill Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was prevented because it couldn't obtain the support of the armed forces officials. Lula was sworn in without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a following week, on January 8th, numerous Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised public facilities in the national capital, Brazil's capital.

The police stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.

The judges found that the rioters had been provoked by him whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to take action, bring back stability and bring him back to power.

At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also banned from running for public office until the year 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.

The former president called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 presidential election.